"I was a mess. I'll be quite frank. I was a mess," Catherine told 3,000 doctors at the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies 5th World Congress opening ceremony on Sunday, the New York Daily News reported.

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Catherine and Michael spoke together at a New York event on Sunday

"When I'm married to a man who has such a conviction for life … he fights to make the wrongs right. For the first time, he was fighting for his life," said the mother-of-two.

Catherine and Michael, who have been together for 14 years and have two children – daughter Carys, 11, and son, Dylan, 12 – were side-by-side at the event to discuss the benefits of medical research and thank the doctors who saved Michael's life.

Michael, 69, explained that he was misdiagnosed three times before eventually having a walnut-sized tumour removed from the back of his tongue in 2010.

The Hollywood star also talked about his journey back to health, sharing that he lost 40 pounds after he started chemotherapy, and that things got "a lot worse" before they got better. In January 2011, he was declared cancer-free.

Michael Douglas thanked doctors for saving his life

"In all seriousness, and in every sense of the word, I'm very fortunate to be here today," he said.

"We can only imagine what the next century will bring," Michael added. "Thank you for saving my life."

Catherine, 44, who recently got back with Michael after the couple's temporary separation, expressed her sincere gratitude for having her husband with her.

"I'm very happy to be here this morning with my husband," the actress said. "I mean that literally. I'm very happy to be here with my husband."

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